Lights

Question

Carla asked: What if you intend to only ride your bike when it around noon are you still required to put reflective lighting on your bicycle? Or a lamp?

Answer

Lights and reflectors are required for bicycles operated during the hours of darkness.

s. 316.2065 – Bicycle Regulations

(7)Every bicycle in use between sunset and sunrise shall be equipped with a lamp on the front exhibiting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and a lamp and reflector on the rear each exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of 600 feet to the rear.

Although the Bicycle Regulations don’t require bicycles to be equipped with lights unless operated at night, another statute seems to require lights in conditions of limited visibility.

s. 316.217 – When Lighted Lamps are Required

(1)Every vehicle (Bicycles are vehicles) operated upon a highway within this state shall display lighted lamps and illuminating devices as herein respectively required for different classes of vehicles,

(b)During any rain, smoke, or fog.

Obviously, lighting under these conditions is prudent, but it seems the writers of the Bicycle Regulations didn’t take that into consideration.

Bicycles operated during daylight hours and in good weather do not need to be equipped with lights or reflectors.

SpecialFX,
The statutes say “every bicycle’ and “every vehicle”, and does not specify a location. The highway includes the roadway, the sidewalk and sidewalk area.
s. 316.003 – Definitions
(53) Street or Highway
(a) The entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place of whatever nature when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular traffic ….